Kathmandu: A meeting of Council of Ministers has decided to sack Nepal’s Central Bank incumbent Governor Maha Prasad Adhikari and start a probe accusing him of leaking crucial information and failing to complete his duties.
With sacking of the incumbent Governor, Deputy Governor Neelam Dhungana has taken over the post as acting governor. A letter of suspension was handed over to the 17th Governor of the Himalayan Nation on Friday. Press Advisor to the Prime Minister GovindaPariyar confirmed that the governor had been suspended. “Meeting of Council of Ministers has decided to suspend him and is being investigated for leaking information and damaging the monetary status of the nation,” Press Secretary to Nepal PM Govinda Acharya confirmed over phone.
The governor allegedly leaked information about Finance Ministry’s directive to prohibit the import of luxury goods. An unofficial panel of ministers had also been formed to probe allegations leveled against Adhikari.
The unofficial team included Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand, Finance Minister Janadarna Sharma, Minister of Communications and Information Technology GyanendraBahadurKarki, Energy Minister PamphaBhusal, Health Minister BirodhKhatiwada and Federal Affairs Minister Rajendra Shrestha.
Meanwhile, a three-member panel led by former judge Purushotam Bhandari has been tasked to probe the allegations against Governor Adhikari and submit a report within a month.
Finance Minister Sharma and Governor Adhikari had not been on good terms since Sharma took office. Also, a delegation of private sector businessmen had drawn Prime Minister SherBahadurDeuba’s attention towards the existing financial crisis and held the governor responsible for it. (ANI)